LACONIA —The Laconia Muskrats, one of the twelve teams in the prestigious New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), announced their coaching staff for the 2015 season on Monday evening. Nick Cenatiempo, who served as the Muskrats' pitching coach last summer will return as manager. He will be joined by a pair of new faces in the dugout. Chris Tilton was named the team's pitching coach and Justin Sumner will oversee Laconia's hitters.

Cenatiempo, 27, replaces Matt Alison who managed the Muskrats for the past four seasons. Cenatiempo oversaw the Muskrats' pitching operations last summer and worked with some of the New England Collegiate Baseball League's top pitchers, such as Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy College), who finished the summer at the top of the league's pitching ranks. During the academic year, you can find Cenatiempo working with young pitchers at Saint Anselm College.

"I'm very thankful to be given the chance to manage the Laconia Muskrats this summer," said Cenatiempo. "It's a complete honor to be from Manchester and be able to lead this organization in such a great league in the Lakes Region."

Tilton, 23, is a Rochester, New Hampshire native who will serve as the pitching coach at Saint Michael's College under the management of former Muskrats' assistant coach Scott Strong (2012) during the collegiate season. In the summer of 2014, Tilton was the pitching coach for the North Shore Navigators of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Sumner, 28, enters his second year as volunteer assistant coach at Saint Anselm College this upcoming season. He works with infielders and develops strength and conditioning programs for position players. In the summer of 2014, Sumner helped coach the Geneva Red Wings, of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, to an Eastern League Championship.

"I really enjoyed being the Pitching Coach last summer under Matt Alison. The support from the community was outstanding, and the fans really gave our players a great atmosphere to perform in every night," concluded Cenatiempo. " I hope to see everyone back again this summer! Thank you to everyone in community that supports the Laconia Muskrats we greatly appreciate it."

2015 Roster

The Muskrats have been naming players from the 2015 roster on their Twitter page (@LaconiaMuskrats) over the past month. Stay tuned to the Muskrats via social media and the team's website for the latest news and roster information.

Muskrat Monster Deck

The Muskrats need help with the completion of the Muskrat Monster Deck. The Monster Deck will be a 2,000 square foot viewing deck on the backside of the Muskrat Monster. The deck will be used to create the Muskrat Grill, a one of kind food venue at Robbie Mills Field.In 2012 with the help of the Lakes Region Builders and Remodelers Association, the Muskrats constructed a 17-foot tall by 88-foot long replica of the famed Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston. The second phase of this project was a deck that would create a viewing experience unparalleled in all of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. A lack of funding as well as spring weather challenges have kept the team from completing this much needed addition to Robbie Mills Field.

The cost to complete the Monster Deck is approximately $45,000. With the help of donations, the entire community will be able to enjoy their work and the Monster Deck will be another reason why Robbie Mills Field is the premier recreation facility in the state of New Hampshire. Donate by visiting laconiamuskrats.com and clicking the donate button on the right side of the page. All donations are tax deductible as the Laconia Muskrats are a 501c3 non profit organization. Also all improvements to Robbie Mills Field belong to the City of Laconia.

Opening Day in the New England Collegiate Baseball League is five months away and Muskrats Season Tickets are now on sale for only $50. Secure a seat for all 21 home games at Robbie Mills Field this summer by visiting Burrito Me in Laconia or emailing General Manager Noah Crane at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

There is still room available for a few more teams to sign up for the 4th Annual Amy Annis Volleyball Tournament on Sunday, January 25 starting at 11 a.m. The tournament will take place in both the Gilford Middle School and High School Gymnasiums. This fundraising event is a fun recreational co-ed volleyball tournament for high school age students through adults. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research as well as the Amy Annis Scholarship Fund. This scholarship is given annually to a graduating senior. The entry fee is $100. There is a 16 team limit. 16 teams will be playing on 4 courts and each team will be guaranteed three matches in pool play and one match in the tournament round. To register a team or find out more information please contact Joan Forge at 253-3363 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
.

The Fighting Spirit got off to a strong start in 2015, however it was short lived. After amassing a 4-0 lead over the East Coast Minutemen the game had to be postponed before the 2nd period began due to ice conditions. Along the boards in front of the visiting teams bench there was a significant section of ice that had chipped away and left a substantial sized rut. After the coaching staffs, referees, and arena officials discussed the situation it was ultimately deemed unsafe to continue as the reparative measures taken were rendered ineffective. The game will be rescheduled at which point the Spirit will begin with the 4-0 lead they had and the game will start at the beginning of the second period. "We liked the way we began, returning from break is always difficult. We managed the puck well in the first and made simple plays early that allowed us to obtain a four goal lead" says Tyler Simmons, who joins the Spirit as an additional coach. "Unfortunately these types of things happen and we will have to regroup and refocus on the Minutemen when the time comes, as of now we are preparing for our weekend series against the Maine Wild."

The Spirit will start a home and home series with the Maine Wild on Saturday as they travel to Biddeford, Maine for a 5:30 p.m. start. The Spirit will host the Maine Wild Sunday afternoon at the Laconia Ice Arena with the game set to start at 1:45 p.m. "We know the Wild are healthy as they were bitten by the injury bug in the beginning of the season. Either way we need to be ready to compete as the Wild have good skill but more importantly compete every shift. They are one of the hardest working teams in our league and if you are not focused, can sneak up on you" says Simmons.

For more information on the Spirit and their schedule please visit www.fightingspirithockey.com

The Belmont Middle School boys' A basketball team won the Laconia Belmont School Holiday Tournament during Christmas break, after battling its way back from the losers bracket to capture the championship. In their first game against rival Laconia, the Bulldogs lost a close matchup by two points that came down to the wire, with Belmont missing several chances to tie the game in the closing moments. Having to play out of the losers bracket, Belmont took on Merrimack Valley Middle School and coasted to a win. Next up for Belmont was a good Kennett Middle School team with a chance to move them into the championship game vs Laconia. Things did not start well for the Bulldogs in the game against Kennett, and it appeared their hope of playing for the title was lost when they were trailing by 10 points at halftime, 20-10. But the boys from Belmont cranked up their defensive effort in the second half, holding Kennett to only three points the whole second half, allowing the Bulldogs to mount their comeback and defeat Kennett. After climbing their way back up through the losers bracket, the Bulldogs earned a second shot at Laconia in the championship game. The boys from Belmont continued their great defensive effort in this game as well. Both teams played good, hard defense, keeping the score at 2-1 after the first quarter. Belmont continued to play smothering defense throughout the game, defeating Laconia 23-17 to win the championship. It was an exciting game played by both teams. The Belmont coach, players and fans would like to thank Laconia for hosting a great tournament.